The Durless Daughter
by Ched890
Summary: Inspired by Public School Arc. Sebastian x OC (mostly). Autumn Durless is an outcast, her popular status amongst the P4 and Alois Trancy have been destroyed by her "circumstances" and a little red P4 card. She returns after some mysterious time off school, with a certain demon butler as her teacher. Not everyone's pleased to see her...
1. Prologue

Uh you might be a bit confused at first (it's a bit of a prologue) but it makes sense at the end I promise :)

Disclaimer for whole series: I do not own kuroshitsuji, or the thumbnail. But everything else is mine, methinks.

Enjoy.  
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**PROLOGUE  
Death Takes A Holiday**

**SHALL I TELL YOU A SECRET?  
**_**My name is Death.**_

It might sound crude, but I watch people die. That's just what I do. It sounds cruel, doesn't it? But it's not. I am not a cruel being - I am fair.

It's very simple: when someone is dying, I will find them. My hands will caress their fragile body and my words will soothe them: "It's okay" I'll say, "it will end soon". And then I will watch as their eyes burn into me. Slowly… slowly, the life will drain out of those eyes, and I am left gazing at the empty shell of a body, where life is extinct.

They always stare at me – I am the last thing they see. Sad, isn't it? Me…I am their parting gift. I always feel like an uninvited guest, as I watch the people around that empty body. Most of the time, there are tears – so many tears. But I have never cried. I cannot afford to let such human things as 'emotions' cripple my appetite.

But yes, they do look at me. Many of them don't _see _me, of course – that would cause for complications when I fail to extract their souls. Sometimes I'm not quick enough you see, and I am cheated.

Nonetheless there are people who can see me, during their final heartbeats. I can't imagine what they must see - I am not even sure what I look like myself. But sometimes I can see it in their eyes that they know I'm there. And as I gaze into their knowing stare, I wonder…What do they see? Do they see a kind, convivial figure? Or something deeply disturbing? I suppose I shall never know myself.

Usually, it's the children who can see me. They're young, so their imaginations have not been wounded by the dull routine of life. They're open to the possibility of anything happening. It's always a little harder to take a child's soul – it's always so pure, so innocent. They have so much more to give…

But I do. I take their souls just like I take everyone's soul. Supposedly, you are wondering how I do it – find every dying human being and end their life. I don't particularly know myself, to be frank. I suppose I am omnipresent – everywhere. I can not only be in two places at once, but in thousands. Perhaps every second is slower for me, so I can cope with the numbers. However it is as I said: I do not even know myself.

You could think that I am a fool for not knowing. However, I could say the same thing right back at you: why are y_ou _here? You have simply accepted your existence, have you not? I don't see y_ou_explaining how you got here, in this world of yours.

Nonetheless, it is this world of yours that I find ever so fascinating. Every second I watch it, I am baffled by the complexity of what you human beings have created here. Never had I thought that it would end up like this…

Ah, where are my manners? I have become side tracked, derailed from the original purpose of this story. However, 'story' does sound ever so...narrative. This is not a story, dear reader. This is a report, a statement as such. This is not false.

**...**

On one blustery, autumn day I found myself wandering through a common old town. One of the advantages of being such an..._omnipresent _being, is that I can simply drift across this place which you call 'Earth' without any real purpose. I can explore what you human beings have created here. I must say, I do compliment you. You have created something quite magnificent.

**A PASSING THOUGHT OF DEATH  
**_**Perhaps that will be your downfall.**_

Ah, so sorry, my sweet little reader. Do not be afraid, I did not mean to _scare_you. Sometimes my thoughts simply tumble out across the page. However, that was not a prediction. That was a statement.

Because one day, this place you call home will come crashing down. You human beings like to create stories of an apocalypse, and I would like to take this opportunity to confirm them. No, your end may not come through zombies or vampires or other such mythical creatures you have created; nor through a giant flood almost resembling something biblical. No, please control your imaginations.

But one day, it will end.

Ah, there I go again. I apologise, dear reader. I am so very easily distracted from the purpose of this 'story'. So as I was saying, I was drifting along through a common old town...

* * *

**An immeasurable amount of time previously...**

* * *

November hits the small English town of Hult, drying the fresh green leaves from the trees. They crackle as they glide through the cool bluster and onto the grassy earth.

One girl sits there, under this tree which is being robbed of leaves by a thief named Wind. But as my eyes focus on her, I realize why I have been drawn here.

The girl is dying.

She clutches her chest, her shirt already blooming crimson. It is a beautiful sight to see. Red has always been my favourite colour.

Many make the foolish mistake of connoting me to dark colours, like black or grey. How monotonous. No, I prefer the bolder colours – namely, red. This is not because of its relation to blood and other such gore. It is simply because scarlet reminds me of one thing many people lack: passion. The colour red reminds me of a single thing I have never witnessed inside of myself, despite my timeless existence: love.

Oh no, don't get me wrong. I have s_een _love. I see it often, when I collect the spirits of human beings. I watch their loved ones cry or moan or other such grievances. People react differently to witnessing their lover dying.

But never have I felt that emotion; it is such a trivial, human thing. And that is why I like the colour red. It reminds me of love, which is such a foreign emotion to me. It baffles me, that enigma.

Yet as I watch this girl dying, I feel something in the pit of my stomach. Something telling me that she is the one. I find myself being drawn to her, until I am right beside her crumpled form.

Her hair is long and auburn, matching the blood which is staining her white blouse; part of some sort of school uniform. Her slender (too slender?) form is shaking as her pale hands try to keep the blood inside her body. It is a feeble attempt, and she knows that. It is written across her thin features, including her dark, crimson eyes.

"Oh God no...Help..." she whimpers. I wonder how she has achieved this state. I stand and survey the area.

We are on a hilltop. Below us stretches the town of Hult, with its grey buildings and dull streets. Everything is orderly; seemingly designed for practicality rather than some place you could call home. It looks like something of a ghost town, with all of its inhabitants surely in a deep slumber. According to the moon, it is the early hours of the morning. How long has this child been here?

I gaze around, hunting for any other form of life. But there is nothing but this bleeding girl and myself. There is no one to comfort her as she leaves this world. How pitiful.

"Wh...who are you?" she whispers, hoarsely. I look behind me, expecting to see another person. But no...She is looking directly at me.  
"I am Death" I say. That is another trait I pride myself in: I am honest. You will never find me flowering the truth with unnecessary words.  
"Hello, Death" she smiles meekly. "Tell me...How much longer will it take?"  
"Not long, now...Within the hour, perhaps"  
"That is good" she says quietly, resting her head on the tree trunk.

I gaze at her, pondering. She seems to be happy, somehow. Like she doesn't mind; as though she has accepted her fate. It is saddening to watch, somehow.

How strange though, that this girl can see me. Usually they are not able to, particularly when they are not children. Yes, this is a child – but only just. She has reached adolescence – she must be at least sixteen years of age. It is mostly the toddlers who have the unwanted pleasure of seeing me.

"What do I look like to you?" I ask, because I have never been able to. Usually I must take their souls quickly...But not today. She is not yet ready; I have arrived far too early. That is odd, for I have never before arrived this early at a death scene. At least, not since the last time I was called as a demon...Ah, yes I remember -

"I do not see a person...there is simply a...form. It is indescribable." The girl answers my question, bringing me back to present day.  
"Is that so? I never knew."  
She smiles, "well, now you do"  
"Thank you,"  
"Happy to help" she laughs quietly, then cringes at the pain it causes, "this is bizarre"

I smile. I have never before had an actual conversation with a human before dying. This girl is really something...

"It's a shame," her eyes are sad, "I would do a lot of things to keep living"

I watch her. She looks so pathetically human, lying there by that tree doused in her own blood. A notice now that a dagger sits beside her, covered in her own blood. It is clear that she has been attacked. My next words flow out of my mouth without my realizing:

"Would you sell your soul to a demon?"

That makes her think for a while. She picks up the knife beside her, and twists it in her hands. She seems to be entranced by the metallic glint it gives off in the moonlight. At last, she replies:

"Yes, I suppose I would. If I were given the opportunity."  
"Really? That is surprising. I would not have expected a young girl like yourself to desire such a thing"  
"What makes you think so?" It is a sensible question, and I pause before answering truthfully.  
"There is too much goodness in you," I have never complimented a human so outright before. Is this what 'love' feels like? Being so..._Comfortable_?

"I don't want my soul. Take it." She murmurs defiantly. I see that her life is becoming shorter by the minute. It won't be long before I must indeed take her soul. But as whom? Death or Demon?  
"You are that desperate?"  
"Yes. There are things I must do."

I frown. There is a definite look of determination on her face: she is serious. Perhaps she wishes for revenge against whoever put her in this state.

I suppose that I should make you aware of one small but significant fact: I am not simply Death. I am everything about death: heaven, hell; time, life. As I have said, I am omnipresent: everywhere. I can be an angel in one place and a demon in another. I can even take a physical form, and walk about the earth freely whilst everything else continues. I live a million different existences.

"I can take the form of a demon, and help you to carry out your mission. In return, I may devour your soul."  
"How?"  
"You will have to make a contract with me. However, once you have rejected faith, it is impossible for one to pass through the gates of heaven."  
The girl laughs bitterly, although I can see that it is hurting her. "I would never have entered the heavens anyway, in whatever life I could have lead after this"  
"Then I shall ask you only once: is it your wish to form a contract?"  
"Yes."  
"Very well,"

The once calm, cool breeze has transformed into a stormy fluster. The leaves are ripped off of the tree sheltering us, and I feel my present self slip away from the rest of me. Death will continue without me; for I am a demon now, sentenced to watch over this strange girl who has been doused in my favourite colour.

I would not be able to describe to you how this works, because I do not know myself. I am omnipresent after all, not omniscient. Death is not a physical being, you see. I am a thing; a presence. But now, in the form of a demon, I am a person.

You may ask why Death may take on the form of a demon. Why not just take their soul?

Ah, my curious little reader. There are certain people – like this child in front of me – who do not wish for their souls to continue. It would be an awful clutter, for so many unwanted souls to be circulating the universe. So demons solve this problem. We take the soul and feed it to hell. Likewise, an angel may take the spirit and feed it to heaven, but this does not earn the soul bearer another chance at life on Earth.

A demon not only finishes souls, but it also devours them. It is far, far nicer to take a soul in the form of a demon rather than in the form of Death in general. When I take a soul in the form of a demon, it is incredibly tasty. I am allowed to indulge in the flavour, and savour the aroma of a spirit. And besides, as a demon I can pass some time in this form, have a little fun. Experience 'love', maybe. What can I say? Being Death has its quirks. I need a holiday, as such.

I look down at my body. I have taken the form of a butler. How strange. We usually do take on the form of a human being, but it's rare that one should find a demon in the shape of a butler. Perhaps this girl is a noble, then.

I bow to the girl. "My Lady."  
Her crimson eyes are wide, "I never dreamed...Never thought for a moment that would actually work" I frown.  
"Do you regret your decision?"  
She pauses for a while, thinking. "No." she offers me a hand, and I take it, pulling her up from the ground. Her blouse is stained with blood, but her wounds will have healed. A bonus of making a contract with a demon: if you were dying due to a wound, it will be healed.

"Then I must mark your body," I tell her, "it will be a sign of our contract"  
"Very well. Mark me wherever you wish"  
"The contract seal is more powerful the more visible it is. Your eye, perhaps?"  
"Fine," she frowns a little, and I press my palm over the socket of her eye.

A jolt of electricity flows through us, and she cripples in pain. Her fingers claw at my hand, trying to prise away the source of such agony. But within a few seconds, it is done.

She is on the floor once more, panting and clutching her eye. Upon my own hand is a devil's pentagram, which will surely match the mark now etched into her once crimson iris. She will forever hold one red and one purple eye. With that and her long, scarlet hair, she will never again sink into the background amongst human beings.

And she will never again sink into the background to Death. I am a demon, and I shall never leave her side.

"What is your name?" she asks, once she has recovered and stood once more to face me.  
"I have no name. I will take whatever title you chose, my Lady"  
"Sebastian Michaelis" she says quietly, after deliberating for a significant amount of time. I wonder where that name came from.  
"Very well," I reply, as we begin to walk down the hill. "And what should I refer to you as?"  
She smiles then chuckles quietly, "Autumn Durless" she replies.

I allow a laugh to escape my lips too. "How fitting" I remark, as we make our way down the grassy mound, our hair being ruffled in unison by the autumn breeze.

So Autumn Durless is reborn in her own season, having sold her soul to the devil and rejected the gates of heaven. This should prove to be quite an interesting vacation.

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There's the prologue. What do you think? :) The actual Chapter One will be out soonish - I'm still working on my other story as said, but I was dying to get this out :D

Also, I have a second story called Death Waltz (woo death). It's another Sebastian X OC pairing - completed. Check it out? [after leaving a review, of course!;)]

Thanks for reading!

~Ched.~


	2. The P4 Card

**Note: **This is based on the school arc. **Weston College is a day AND dorm school and for boys AND girls.**  
I also stole the idea of those F4 cards from Boys Over Flowers (I dont own) :P  
& Also thanks for your reviews :P  
Enjoy.

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**CHAPTER TWO**

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V**_

"I will see you at school, Sebastian" Autumn bids me a good day and leaves the manor. We have come up with a system: she will leave at half past eight, and I will leave ten minutes later. After all, it would be strange if a teacher and a student arrived together.

That is my cover story. I am a teacher at Weston College. This old fashioned academy consists of magnificent gothic-style chapel and four historical student houses. The students are under strict discipline that values tradition above all, and are raised to be the new ladies and gentlemen of England through their individual high-level educational curriculum.

**A SMALL FACT  
The nobles send their children to this school without regard for the extremely high fees for one main reason: to obtain a glimmering status.**

I sigh: a school for brats, then. As I leave the manor, I ponder over how Autumn would ever fit into such a place. _Perhaps she doesn't _I frown, noticing that she has opted out of staying in the dorms this year. I shake the thought out of my head, _stop acting like such a worried old mother._

It appears that I have become quite attached to this particular soul. I smile, thinking of just how delicious it will be to devour. But not yet, Sebastian. First, I will enjoy my little...Vacation.  
_  
_After ten minutes, I reach the campus. It consists of a rather extravagant gothic-like chapel and many different Victorian looking buildings entwining into one. I grimace at the religious nature of the school, and can't help but chuckle at the irony of a demon wearing a rosary.

I go through the gates and push my way through a group of students with banners and signs, shouting things about something or another. I do not stop to see what they are protesting against, and simply walk through them to my classroom. I sigh as my ears catch various giggles from love struck teenage girls. It seems that I have had quite the effect on these students. Particularly the ladies. _Well, _I think, _at least they are more inclined to listen to me and behave in my classes._

I have already been at school for a couple of days, whilst Autumn has been healing. It has been a couple of weeks since our contract. So today is her first day at school, after a couple of weeks off. Again, we wanted to avoid suspicion by returning to school on the same day.

It is the middle of the second term, so everyone has already settled into school. I wonder how Autumn will be able to sink back into school after her – uh - time off.

As I set things up in my classroom, I wonder what Autumn is like at school. Is she popular? She always seems so calm, she has the sort of personality which would draw people to her.

The bell rings, and within a few minutes students are flooding into my classroom. The day begins.

* * *

**_AUTUMN P.O.V._**

I slip on my uniform tiredly and survey myself in the mirror. I wear a fitted black blazer, a white blouse, grey skirt and a blue ribbon tie around my neck. Sapphire Owl colours. Over my right eye is a silky black eye patch, tied to my head with some ribbon. I sigh: I'm going to get so much shit for my new pirate look.

I pull my auburn hair into a messy bun on top of my head, and throw some books into my satchel before heading downstairs.

"I will see you at school, Sebastian" I call out to my butler before slamming the door of the manor and heading off down the street.

My heart is thudding uncomfortably, making my chest hurt. My wound is still sore, although I have told Sebastian otherwise. I have not been to school in two weeks, and I can't afford to get behind. And besides – I shiver – I do not want the students to think it's because of the P4.

**A DEFINITION**  
_**The P4 = The Prefect Four**_

They essentially rule the school. So it was to my deepest horror when I found a neat, scarlet 'P4' card in my locker on my first day back to school after the summer. If you are wondering, a P4 card is what one receives when they have been officially cast out by the Prefect Four. In other words, they are a freak and are deemed to be outcast by the whole school for the rest of their school life.

Brilliant.

You may be wondering how I received a P4 card. Well, I shall have you know that I was incredibly popular for many years. In fact, Alois Trancy, the most popular boy in school (aside from the P4 of course), was my boyfriend.

In year eleven, he asked me out on a date. I wasn't so keen, but after he persuaded me (need I say how?) we ended up dating for the whole year.

But I soon started to hate our relationship. He had a strange, seductive way of being with me. Don't get me wrong, he was sexy. But that was not what I was looking for in a boyfriend. He wanted a physical relationship, which I most certainly did not desire. And, to be honest, he's a little bit insane. I never mentioned to anyone that these were not the only reasons why I left him. There were other - uh - pressing issues I had to deal with over the summer, too.

Whatever the reason, I dumped him.

Yes, that's right. _I _left _him. _And, as far as I know, I am the only student who has ever ended the relationship first. Who would want to leave Alois Trancy, one of the most desirable students in the school?

But Alois was –and still is- good friends with the famous P4. So, bright and early on the first day of the new school year, I was delighted to find a nice red 'P4' card flutter out of my locker.

Need I even mention that that was sarcasm?

So now you know. You will now understand why there are various banners by the school gate reading various vile, insulting things against my name. But, as I did last term, I act like it doesn't bother me. I calmly push my way through, blocking out their sniggers and sneers. They get louder when they notice my eye patch. _Act like you don't care.  
_  
"Good morning," I smile nonchalantly. Once I am a few metres away, I turn around and look at their banners.

'_What's the one thing that's worse than Twilight? Autumn Durless' _I can't help but actually give a genuine chuckle at the first sign. I mean, really?  
"That's quite good, actually" I compliment the Scarlet Fox student, and shake my head as though amused and walk up through the school to make it to my first class.

That is simply the way I do things. I could either let their torments hurt me, or act like it's all one big joke. I chose the latter.

Sighing, I walk into my first period once the bell rings. I can't help but pull up short slightly when I notice who the teacher is.

My own demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis.

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You like? :P See you next chapter!  
~Ched.~


	3. Detention

Ahh I'm so sorry about the wait - I went camping (it rained) then I watched too many sad films and cried (so many tears) then I had writers block (life is hard)...But here it is! :)  
Enjoy.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

I make my way to the back of the classroom, acting like I don't know Sebastian – oh, I mean 'Mr Michaelis'. How strange it will feel to call him that.

As always, no one sits next to me. I let my satchel fill the otherwise empty seat next to me, so it looks as though I like it that way. As though I don't care that no one wants to share a desk with the loser kid. Fine by me.

We have English and French with Mr Michaelis. This lesson is English. I have always enjoyed this subject, and (although I do not mean to brag, of course) I would consider myself a decent writer. Poetry, story writing...It just seems to click.

That's the way it is with me: things either work with my brain or they don't. I am able to manipulate words into formulating something beautiful, but I will never be able to translate my opinions on my summer holidays into French. (Really, who even cares about how my holidays were?)

I gaze out of the window as Mr Michaelis begins the lesson. I would never describe the view from this window as something beautiful. In fact, many would describe it as positively ugly. But I love the view here.

I can see the sea. It's not a delightful turquoise colour, and there are certainly no tropical things inhabiting the waters (unless you count the slimy, acid-green seaweed). The beach curving the sea in a comma shape is far from pretty. Every pebble is a dull grey colour, and the long stretch of 'beach' is dotted with large chunks of ugly plant life coughed up by the sea.

And yet I find it all absolutely mesmerising. Not beautiful, but awe-inspiring all the same. The waves crash magnificently against the great cliffs in the distance; I can almost hear those waves from here, despite being such a long way off. The water looks powerful, and I know for a fact that it has stolen a life or two. A few brave folk have tied their boats to the docks, and they're all bobbing about violently. I have always found something exotic about the various life forms which find their ways out of the sea bed.

I sigh contentedly. How strange that no one else should appreciate the coast. When I was a kid, I thought there was something wrong with my brain. I thought that perhaps there was a reason for my mostly positive outlet on this miserable life. Perhaps I simply see things through different eyes. _My mother's eyes_.

Madame Red was my mother. She was always taking me out to these magnificent parties and occasions, treating me to new dresses and other pretty little things. Of course, I went to those parties to help her on her – uh – 'business work'. But she took me all the same.

"Autumn?" I snap out of my reverie, and jump a little when I look up to see Sebastian looming over me. He narrows his eyes at my vacant state and just quietly says "detention after school," before walking away to resume the lesson.

"Oooh," Hannah, a Violet Wolf girl sneers quietly, "looks like geek freak's not such an ass licker after all" people around us chuckle. I can't help but notice that Edgar Redmond's lips curve into a smile too. I have not spoken to the Scarlet Fox prefect since summer. *

I simply smile at Hannah as though her comment was funny to me too, and try to maintain my chagrin. Mr Michaelis continues the lesson and I attempt (and fail) to listen. I take one last wistful look at the ocean then tie my eyes down to my work, trying not to worry about my detention on my first day back. _Nice one, Autumn._

* * *

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**_

Autumn enters my classroom, and sits at the back of the class. She does not look at me, but simply gazes out of the window at the rather disappointing view. I smile slightly as I write the date on the board. She is better at this cover-up than I expected. We might actually manage to get away with this.

I begin the lesson, talking about An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley. The students have already read the book during the first few weeks of term, and we're simply doing character analysis and such this lesson. I can't help but frown slightly, because I have not seen Autumn read the book once. Does she even have a copy of it?

I clear my head and set the class a task to do. I need to forget about Autumn during school, at least. Yes, her soul is deliciously tempting but I'm supposed to be teaching a room full of hormonal, sweaty adolescents how to appreciate the art of literature. I sigh; I sure am going to be busy.

I walk around the class and answer certain students' questions. But as I talk to a blushing girl (really, how does she still not understand the work), I can't help but feel my eyes trail over to Autumn.

She is gazing out of the window, looking completely content with the world. A slight smile has graced her lips and she lazily twirls a pencil around her fingers. She looks completely divine, idly taking in the scene through the window. It almost looks as though she finds the view pleasant. I can't help but feel a knot in my stomach untwist itself at seeing her genuinely happy.

But as I walk back to my desk I notice the various sniggers from other students. It was only yesterday that Ash, the school's principle, had warned me to toughen up on them. "You're too nice," he had said, "you've got to put your foot down even at the tiniest things. Discipline is a strong part of this college". I suppose that I was being far too much of a butler. But apparently even trivial actions were meant to be punished over.

It would not look good if I let Autumn slide, especially as she has now drawn attention to herself. So, I slowly step up to her desk, where she sits alone. I frown a little, is the other student away? What if she's unpopular here?

W_hy do you care? She's a meal, that's all. Nothing more._

"Autumn" I call her attention, but it sounds more like a question than a command. I'm not used to scolding students, although I usually want to. She jumps a little and looks at me with guilty eyes.

"Detention after school," I say, trying to act stern. Then, before I do something butler-like, I return to the front of the class to teach. But just as I reach the front desk, a girl says something insulting. I'm not even sure what it was, but I can't help my hands from clenching onto the whiteboard rubber and strongly desiring to throw it at her head. _Why do you feel like this?_

Forget it.

And that's exactly what I do. I spend the rest of the day trying to forget about the girl who serves as nothing but a meal and perhaps a holiday.

* * *

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

The final bell rings, long and shrill. My heart drops and I drag my feet as slowly as possible to Mr Michaelis' room. I knock three times then enter.

We exchange a small "good afternoon" then I go to a desk. He hands me some papers and asks me to mark them, seeing as they're just multiple choice answers. I do so gratefully, seeing as this could all be much worse compared to other teachers.

But as I sit and mark ticks or crosses accordingly, my mind can't help but wonder. Usually, I would not object to this...But today my mind wondering into dark and dangerous corners which I have not explored in a long time. They are the corners which lock away my past.

My fingers clench around my pen, as the padlocks inside my head seem to just drop to the floor. I have spent many weeks building those internal locks to keep out memories which I cannot control. But for some reason they're just dropping like flies. It's like a full-on army attack inside my head. _Why? Why is this suddenly happening?  
_  
_Oh_. I gulp as my hands begin to spasm._ I did not take my medication this morning._

Perhaps if I had told Sebsatian, he would have reminded me. But telling Sebastian about my –uh – 'issues'...that would cause too many tricky little questions, which I am in no state to answer.

I glance over to Mr Michaelis, hoping that he has not noticed my internal frenzy and the beads of sweat forming on my brow. I am in luck; his gaze is fixed on his work. I close my eyes and take deep, calming breaths – like my counsellor told me. I cringe at having a counsellor - it makes me sound like some crazy lunatic who is too pathetic to do anything without the support of someone else.

I keep breathing in and out, trying to lock up those invisible doors. My counsellor told me to barricade these 'challenging' memories away until I can tackle them one at a time. I created this sort-of internal corridor, where different memories are hidden in different rooms. But right now all the doors are flying open, easily tempting me into their contents. I keep running down the corridor, trying not to look into the rooms. All of the deadbolts and padlocks and other such devices are clicking open and hitting the floor with a dull, metallic _clang._

And then, my mind finds its way to the biggest, most robust door at the centre of the corridor maze. It is guarded with at least twenty different barriers. But they're all falling apart. The bolts are sliding from their sockets; the latches are rusting and crumbling to the floor. _No. Oh God no._

The door swings open, and everything around me goes black. An overwhelming realization floods me. Something which I have tried to hide since that summer.

**THERE ARE TWO THINGS I KNOW ABOUT MY LIFE  
**_**1) My mother was killed  
2) I killed her.**_

* * *

[ * = Hannah Anafelozas, the maid of Alois in the anime.& Edgar, from the manga school arc. ]

So yeah tada :) I hope that was understandable, the corridor bit about her mental state? See you next chapter (hopefully sooner than the last!) where a few questions shall be answered...

~Ched.~


	4. I Killed Her

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

"Autumn! Autumn, do it – you have to. It's the only way," my mother whispers frantically. Her eyes burn into mine, begging me to obey.

"I can't" I breathe, "I just can't. I won't be able to live with it."

She lets out some sort of anguished groan, and I can see that she is counting down the seconds we have left. She squeezes her eyes shut and pinches the bridge of her nose. She takes one deep breath and then looks directly at me once more.

"Look. If they get me, I will surely go through something far worse than death. Eventually, they will get the information out of me. Autumn, you _know _that I would not be able to live with that. It would put hundreds of others in danger, not to mention the Queen."

My heart sinks, "That's what this is really about, isn't it?" I whisper, "The Queen."

She lets out a growl as she snaps. "You're too immature to understand!" There is silence, and I can't hide the hurt which floods my features.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean that, Sweetie." She sighs, and folds my body against hers, kissing my forehead. "You have achieved so much more than I could ever have asked for. I'm proud of you."

The embrace is too short. After a few seconds, it's back to business. Madame Red, my mother, hands me a gun.

I am used to carrying weaponry. I can't remember a time when I haven't had a trusty pistol in my pocket, or a knife tucked in my shoe. Murder is just something which I have always embraced.

"I'm too selfish to lose you" I choke out, the gun feeling so right yet so wrong in my hands. It's like hugging an old, familiar friend who you know is backstabbing you.

My mother folds her hand around mine. "It is my final wish," she says, smiling as a few tears roll down her cheeks. "I'll do it myself otherwise."

There is a long pause, and then a voice cuts the air: "I'll do it". I'm shocked to realize that these are my own words. It's as though someone else has taken over my mind. Perhaps this is my body's way of relieving the stress of it all...Or maybe I am simply insane. Either way, I click the bullet into its chamber and point it at my mother's skull.

_'The least painful path to death is a shot to the head.'_I read that somewhere. I don't know if it's true or not, but it feels more humane right now. Am I doing the right thing? It's hard to tell. Perhaps this will simply remain one of my life's greatest enigmas: whether I made the right choice tonight. I wonder if I will ever forgive myself for this.

"I love you. I'm proud of you. No regrets?" she holds my hand. My mother actually holds her killer's hand. I feel sick.

I can hear footsteps approaching: they're coming. I feel her hand squeeze mine reassuringly, telling me to do it. I feel numb, as though I'm not really there; these are not _my _hands, about to pull this trigger.

"No regrets," I reply in a whisper. And then, with a mere twitch of a fingertip, her life is finished. It's funny, isn't it? How something so small can do something so drastically big.

Everything is hazy, and I'm definitely not with my body anymore. Why am I watching myself, as though I am an outsider? That's not right...

The skinny child stands there, struck dumb for a fraction of a moment. Then, she scatters from the scene, disappearing into an air vent which only she would have been able to enter. She leaves her mother, cold on the floor.

I follow the girl in the tunnel, stalking her every move. If that girl is me...Who am I? Autumn tries to throw me off, but I'm attached to her like a tail. Her head stays forward as she crawls desperately through the maze of ventilation. But she can't shake me off.

And then she can't resist any longer. I suppose it's some sort of morbid curiosity; like she wants to know who (or what) ends her breaths.

Her pale face turns to me, and I watch her ruby eyes widen in shock and fear and all things unpleasant. I watch as her mouth parts and a long, piercing scream escapes her lips.

I wake up with a jolt.

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**_

I watch the lamplight puddle on the desk, having finished marking the students' bookwork. Twirling a pen around my fingers, I let myself bathe in the silence of the manor. It is a rare opportunity, not hearing an explosion from the kitchens; or a crash of plates falling at high velocity from a shelf somewhere.

Just as I'm beginning to feel almost sleepy (what a particularly useless trait for you humans), something pierces the thick silence. A scream. "Autumn," I dash out of my room and hurry down the corridors, following her screams.

I knock twice then enter the dark room. I flick on the bedside lamp and survey the lump in the covers that is Autumn.

She had passed out after her little 'episode' during detention. I called a doctor, who informed me that Autumn is supposed to be on medication. Some sort of pills to help anxiety. Why had she not told me? Why is she even on medication in the first place? She always seems so...Content. I frown. What kind of butler would I be if I didn't even know about that?

"My Lady?" I try to sound soothing. The doctor had told me that she will have to take some pills immediately to avoid a relapse. But I can't very well give her pills whilst she's hidden under the bed sheets now, can I?

"Bad dream?" I coax, trying to get her to come out of hiding. "Autumn, we both know that dreams aren't real, don't we?" I sit down beside her on the bed.

"This one was" she mumbles, so quietly that even _I _have trouble hearing. I frown.

"What was your dream about?"

Everything is quiet for a few minutes, except for the child's sniffles and a few broken sobs. Then, I feel the covers move and Autumn slowly sits up, hugging her knees. She squints at the brightness of the lamp compared to her dark cave of duvets. Her shaking fingers twist the switch to dim the bulb. Although of course, this does not bother _my _eyes. I can still see her perfectly well.

Her face is pale and shiny with sweat. Her lips are trembling, and a few auburn hairs have strayed into her mouth. The rest of her hair is matted and wild, as frightfully untamed has her ruby eyes. They bore into me, fear etched into each pupil.

"Sebastian..." she starts, then trails off and looks away.  
"Yes?" I push, eyeing the tablets beside her. _I've got to give them to her soon or...  
_"I should probably tell you..." she takes a deep breath, "my mother is dead. That is why I must take these pills." She spills it out quickly, as though it will be better that way. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner"

I forget how typically fragile the human mind can be. Throughout my timeless existence, I have witnessed the breaking of many hearts, and the effects they have later. I am Death, after all. It's my job to break hearts.

In fact, I remember it now. Autumn's mother...She must be Angela Durless. Madame Red, date of death: August the 2nd. Oh of course. I even...I even witnessed that particular tragedy. Autumn killed her mother.

Yes, I recall it all very clearly. I took her mother's soul, and watched as the young girl fled through an air vent. I remember gliding along with her, uncertain if I would have to collect her soul too. Because there were other people in the vent, chasing after her; wishing to claim her life.

I remember thinking: _it's almost kinder if she dies too. _I nearly hoped that those men would catch her, because this child would surely not be able to live with this. Not fully, anyway. The knowledge would destroy her.

I've seen it before. I once followed a murderer throughout his life, watching as he slowly withered inside. He could not live with himself. In the end, he took his own life. Yes, such fragile minds these humans have...

"How did she die?" I ask, because if I told Autumn I already knew, there would be unnecessary questions. There is no need to tell the girl that I am still Death, just in Demon form. I'm still the counterpart of life. I still _know _things.

"I...I killed her" she chokes out, and then covers her mouth with her hands. Her eyes are filled with disgust. I feign a look of surprise.

"Why?"

"She...We...We were on the run. There were people after her...Part of the Underworld. They were trying to get information out of her, about the Queen and everything. We were cornered; trapped. We were in a room and there was only an air vent to escape through. Only I was able to fit. She begged me to kill her. If I didn't, she'd be tortured into telling them our secrets."

Autumn declines into hysterics. She shakes my shoulders, her eyes sparkling with tears: "Don't you see? I had to! I had to! What else could I have done?" She falls onto my chest and cries into my shirt. I rub her back, not quite used to her being so close. In fact, I've never been so close to _anyone_ in this way. But I like it. _Sebastian, what is wrong with you._

"You did the right thing" I say, and she wraps her arms around me and hugs me tighter. I smile sadly into the darkness. Perhaps that is all she needed to hear this whole time.

"These will help," I gently pop the pills into her mouth and she washes them down with a glass of water. Her eyes are swollen, but she still looks the same to me. She is still Autumn Durless.

For a while, we just sit there. I relax about her being so close to me. I allow myself to enjoy it, even. Then, before I can 'enjoy it' too much, I break the silence. "Perhaps you should get some more sleep before school." I say, and tuck her into bed. I switch off the lamp and make my way to leave.

Just as I'm about to reach the door, her voice calls out: "Sebastian."

I stop, and turn on my heels to face her. Whilst she must be blinded by darkness, I am able to see her quite clearly. "Yes, my Lady?"

"Please stay here," she says quietly "until I fall asleep." Her cheeks flush a little, which she probably thinks is hidden by the darkness. Wrong.

I smile. The child is just that: a child. "As you wish, my Lady." So I stay, stood in the corner of her room.

When her breathing has slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep, I make my way to the door once more. But then I stop. Without even thinking about it, I turn around and walk over to her bed. She looks like a little kitten, curled up in that way.

**A BUTLER'S SMALL BUT NOTABLE ACTION **  
_**He bends down and gently presses his lips to her temple.**_

Then I leave the room, pretending it never happened.

* * *

KAWAIII ;) Sorry if that was confusing to start off with? O_o Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited, it makes me happy :D See you next chapter!

~Ched.~


	5. Trancy

_**WARNING: this fanfic is rated T and this chapter is probably why. Contains paedophilia, but not explicit. Hell, we've all watched kuroshitsuji, we've seen it all before eh?**_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_**Sebastian P.O.V.**_

_It was nothing. Not even a kiss, not really. Calm down. _I stand in the staff bathroom, face-palming over the wash basin. I try to persuade myself the kiss doesn't matter. It was just a family thing. You know, the way a father would kiss his daughter. Yes. Nothing romantic. Nothing romantic a_t all.  
_

I sigh, smiling a little. That's a reasonable excuse, no? Of course, I'm still her butler (not to mention her demon), but it's a more reasonable than the other option of that I might actually...No. Impossible.

Wait. My heart lurches into my throat: w_hat if she was awake? WHAT IF SHE KNOWS?_ I look at myself in the mirror, eyes wide with shock. If she knows what I did, then...  
_  
Knows _what, _Sebastian? _There's nothing _to _know. It was just an impulse thing, spur of the moment and all. It's not my fault she looked so..._cute_. Oh sweet God, no don't even think about that. Anyway, she would have confronted you if she knew about it, yes? So what's the big deal you bloody Drama Queen? In fact, maybe you even imagined it. Yes...That's right. It never even happened.

I take a deep breath and splash my face with cold water. It's enough to sharpen my senses and get back to reality. I flick open my pocket watch: I'm already five minutes behind schedule; a roomful of hormonal adolescents awaits me. _Oh, joy _I think with a sigh.

But as I step into the quiet corridor, something catches my eye. My mouth pulls into a smirk: it's a couple fondling against the wall. I put on my most sinister face and begin to stride up to them. But I stop short.

I recognize that hair...it's a magnificent red colour. How familiar..._Oh God that's Autumn. _Without even thinking about it, I veer left into a doorway that's hidden from their view.

Autumn is pressed with her back against the wall, a blond haired boy trapping her there with his body.

"Just come back to me," the boy whispers, and his slug-like tongue slithers up her neck. How vile, is that how people kiss now?

Apparently not, because Autumn makes a face of disgust. But it's not just that...There's fear in her eyes too. Then again, her eyes also have a vacant, glassy look to them; as though she's not really with it.

"No," she says firmly, snapping out of her daze.

"But you know you want to. I could make them stop, you know. The P4, I mean. I could make you _so _popular again" as he says it, he drops a little slip of paper into Autumn's pocket. But before I can question what it is, I'm distracted by his hands. They travel around her body, knowing no bounds. I can see the girl tense uncomfortably. I can't help the snicker that escapes my lips. Why am I so pleased about her reluctance?

"I don't care about popularity, Alois. Leave me alone. " she grabs his hands and tries to push them away from her body.

Alois suddenly growls, and grabs Autumn's hands, pinning them against the wall. "That's not good enough," he spits, "tell me why. Tell me why you're arrogant enough to leave _me, _Alois Trancy!"

"I told you, Alois. I'm not ready for such a relationship." Although she can't look him in the eyes as she says it.

"Bullshit" he spits. Autumn flinches ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry" she says quietly, tears sparkling in her eyes. She hangs her head so I cannot see her expression, and stumbles away from him. She rushes down the corridor, away from Alois and away from me.

The boy in question simply smirks at the wall where Autumn once stood. Then, he gazes at his fingers – the very ones he used to touch her. After that, he does the strangest thing...He pokes out his tongue and licks them. One by one. A manic chuckle escapes his lips, and he skips off down the corridor.

* * *

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

I hurry down the hallway, already late for my first class. What is it with my inability to arrive on time? _Oh crap. _My breath catches in my throat as I see a little blond figure approaching me. I make the 'oh-shoot-I-just-remembered-something' face, and subtly swivel round to head off in the opposite direction. _Now I won't have to pass him in the corridor.  
_  
I speed walk, trying to reach the toilets so I can wait for him to pass before heading off in the right direction. But...Wait, why is he so close to me already? I fumble inside my blazer pocket, trying to open the little pot of pills one handed. I always need an extra dose when he's around. The memories are...

_Bingo. _I've managed to flip the lid open with my thumb, and the pills are pouring into a puddle in my pocket. The boy is right behind me now. If I walk any faster, I will be running. J_ust get one in your bloody mouth before-  
_  
He grabs me into an embrace from behind, taking the opportunity to grope my body. I tense, my blood pounding in my ears. _Too late.  
_  
"Autumn! Now, where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asks in such a seductive voice that I actually shiver. _What is wrong with me?_

"Um. Class. Late." I gasp in one word sentences, because his hand has worked its way up my shirt. "Alois. Stop"

"No." What Alois wants, Alois gets. And unfortunately, right now I'm Number One on his wish list.

He presses me up against the wall, one of his hands exploring my figure. But the thing is, I can't deny that I like it. I _like _the way he touches me. It makes me feel...Well, _loved_. Does that make me desperate?

"Just come back to me." I close my eyes, almost about to comply. But then I feel his tongue on my collar bone, gliding up to my jaw.

My eyes widen as a tidal wave of memories hits me with full force. I've never been surfing, but I imagine this is what it feels like when you tackle a wave that's too big. You're thrown into the ocean's clutches, and then into a muffled world. Once you're over the shock of the impact, you simply feel an overwhelming sense of oneness in the silent waters. This is what it feels like now. It's like I'm on my own and completely separate to the present.

I'm in a bed. I'm in Lord Trancy's bed. His warty face is hovering over me, his eyes filled with lust. I drew the short straw tonight; it's my turn. The old man runs his hands down my body then begins to kiss my chest. But it isn't a kiss; it's more of a wet mess of saliva. Then, his tongue pokes out of his chapped lips, and slobbers over my neck. It's similar to what Alois does...but it's a twisted form of the affectionate action.

"No." I try to push Alois off of me, and get rid of those horrid images at the same time. But I can't. It's like they're etched into my eyelids.

He narrows his azure eyes at me and smirks. "But you know you want to. I could make them stop, you know. The P4, I mean. I could make you so popular again." I try to push him off once more, but more forcefully now. His offers are too tempting. After all, it's not _his _fault his foster father's an utter creep.

"I don't care about popularity, Alois. Leave me alone. " I grip his hands, trying to prise them off of my waist. But he grabs them and pins them by my sides.

"Tell me why! Tell me why you're arrogant enough to leave _me_, Alois Trancy!" My wrists are burning as much as my tongue, but I can't tell him. I broke up with him for his own good. Besides, how could I possibly tell him the truth? _"Oh, sorry Alois. I can't go out with you because your foster father licks my neck just the way you do. Oh, not to mention how he's a paedophile and I'm his favourite victim"_No. I can't do that.

"I told you, Alois. I'm not ready for such a relationship" I'm not ready for you to touch me up the way _he_ does. I can't let your lips go anywhere near where _his _lips were. It will infect you. Destroy you.

"Bullshit" His words are like a slap in the face. _Why can't you just believe me? _I hate lying to him. How could he have known what would happen when he offered me a job at his manor? He was just trying to help when I needed him most.

Alois releases his hold and looks at me in disgust.

"I'm sorry" I whisper, and all I can do is run away from him, like the coward I am.

When my mother died at the beginning of August, I had to get a job to keep the money situation under control. Where better, I thought, than the Trancy Manor? People practically beg to work in that place, because of the high wages and relatively simple work.

But there is, of course, a catch. There is a secret reason why the Trancy servants are paid such extortionate sums of money. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, they're essentially used as prostitutes. So, like the rest of the world, I didn't know about that - uh – 'slight hitch'. And, apparently, neither did Alois.

So it came as more than a little surprise when, on my first evening at the manor, the servants were told to draw straws. "Whoever draws the short straw has to entertain the Lord tonight" Claude had said grimly. I thought it was a joke, or at least not meant in a sexual context.

But it was no joke. I realized that when I later found myself in the Lord's bed, the shortest straw clasped in my fist. Whilst he was not allowed to penetrate me in any way, he was still allowed to touch my body. So technically, it's not even rape.

I couldn't bring myself to tell Alois. If I quit the job, I'd have to explain to him about his father. Plus, I'd have to seek alternate employment which would provide nowhere near as much income. So I bore with it for a while. Most nights I got pretty lucky, and managed to retire to my own bedroom. On the nights I was sent to Lord Trancy, I simply transported myself to a different place. I was there in body but not mind.

But eventually I could not continue. I couldn't accept the twisted ideals of love that Lord Trancy had. It disturbed me how Alois was my boyfriend whilst behind closed doors his father was doing unspeakable things with me. Whenever Alois touched me, he only bought back memories of Lord Trancy.

So I broke up with him. It was the only thing I could do. If I told him the real reason...It would destroy everything he holds dear. I know how that feels. It might sound twisted and wrong, but I would rather be blissfully ignorant if I were in his situation. But more likely, perhaps I am simply too selfish or chicken to be the bearer of bad news.

Lord Trancy still exists. He is still doing unspeakable things...And I have no way of stopping him. Not _yet_. All I have to do is wait for the perfect opportunity, then pounce.

I had no idea that the golden chance would come so soon. Because that very day, I find a little folded note at the bottom of my pocket.

**INSCRIBED IN AN ELEGANT SCRIBBLE:**  
_**P4 party at the Trancy Manor, 8PM Friday. **_

I little smile curves my lips. _Perfect._

* * *

Thank you for your lovely reviews last time :D  
See you next chapter!

~Ched.~


	6. A Corset

**CHAPTER SIX**

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

"Oh...Oh my..."  
"Just a little more, my Lady"  
"Oh, Jesus..."  
"Almost there..."  
"Oh, my God! I can't! I can't! Please, stop, Sebastian!"  
"Almost..."  
"GARGH."  
"Done."

I collapse onto the bed. My chest throbs and the blood has rushed to my head.

"Bloody corsets" I whimper. I hate the things, I truly do. That was the worst thing about attending 'business' with my mother: the corsets. They're always necessary, apparently, for such gatherings. "A woman is not a woman without a fine gown. And you cannot have a fine gown without a corset!" she would say.

"My apologies, my Lady. It is necessary. Shall we continue?"

I muffle a groan in my pillow before getting up and letting Sebastian pull a dress over my body. I feel almost nostalgic, being in a ball gown once more. _Mother, if only you could see me now._

It's a deep red number, with off-the-shoulder sleeves which show my collar bone. The skirt tumbles to the floor in ruffles of lace. I cringe to think of how much it cost.

You should know that Sebastian not only bought his demon self into this world, but also his demon skill. And that skill involves being incredibly accurate with reading the stock market and other such things. So, you can imagine how much – uh – e_asier _the money situation has been since he arrived. If not, I certainly wouldn't be wearing this dress. _Or _this jewellery.  
_  
_I sit in front of the dressing table and begin to apply a dusting of make-up. Sebastian curls my red hair into an up-do with neat precision (where did he learn to do that?). After squirting some of my mother's perfume onto my body, I'm ready.

I survey myself in the mirror and smile. Admittedly, I look nice – like a proper lady. It's been a long time since I've made a real effort with my appearance.

Then, I look at Sebastian in the mirror and grin: "your turn."

* * *

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**_

I try to twist my mouth into a smile, rather than the un-amused line it's been for the past hour. _I will never let Autumn play dress-up with me again. _I feel like I've been stripped of my pride as well as my senses.

I've been forced into some hazel contact lenses ("your eyes are too..._you_"), which have clouded my demon-sharp vision. My hair has been slicked back with some greasy slop, exposing far too much of my face. I try not to moan. She's going through hell too, of course, with that corset. _Not that she needs it...her body was perfect just -_

_STOP IT SEBASTIAN. Focus._

I wrap my arm around Autumn's waist, guiding her into the Great Hall of the Trancy Manor. I am playing the role of her business partner from London. It's amazing how different I look, just after changing my hair and putting in some contacts. Hopefully it will be good enough.

"Welcome to the Trancy Manor" three servants bow in unison and usher us inside, handing us both champagne.

"Thank you" we say in equal unison, then make our way over to the dance floor. We move gently in harmony, sipping champagne whilst scouring the room. We are both looking for one person: Lord Trancy.

I don't know much about the situation; accept that the man did unspeakable things to Miss Durless. My fists clench a little, _how dare he touch her that way. _Autumn feels me tense and throws me a concerned look. _Why do I care? Pull yourself together._

"Bingo" she mutters, and I follow her gaze. Right across the dance floor, in a seat that looks almost throne-like, sits Lord Trancy. I swallow some bile. He truly is the most repulsive man; consisting of a wart-infested face, scraggly white hair and a body too small for his layer of skin.

I try to keep from cringing as we dance our way over. I feel Autumn's palms begin to sweat, and squeeze her hand in what I hope is a reassuring manner.

"How do we know this will work?" she whispers, panicked.  
"You have my word, my Lady" is all I can give her.

Then, I feel her freeze. She stops, her eyes fixated on the four people strolling up to us. I sigh: the P4.

* * *

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

"Miss Durless" Edgar calls out. I stop dead in my tracks, like a rabbit caught in headlights. I stay exactly where I am, unmoving. The four prefects move forward until they stand in front of us.

Edgar is smiling at me pleasantly. His long blond hair is draped over his shoulders and he fiddles with a blood-red rose. I have not spoken to the boy since summer. We both remained quiet about those happenings...is he going to break that silence now? _Please no._

"I'm glad you arrived" he says, in a gentlemanly fashion. _Typical Edgar. _Then he turns and surveys Sebastian, who tenses by my side. But he survives the scrutiny and simply shakes Edgar's hand.

"I don't believe we've met" the Scarlet Fox prefect says, seemingly picking out every flaw in Sebastian just with his eyes. "Edgar Redmond, how do you do?"

"Very well, thank you. My name is Walter Howard, I've come from London on business. Delighted to meet your acquaintance" Sebastian says smoothly, throwing Edgar his award-winning fake smile. I have to stifle a chuckle: '_Walter'? _What kind of name is _Walter! _Sebastian elbows me very slightly, but I get the idea: _act cool, dammit._

"How are you lately, Miss Durless?" the blond now turns on me, and I can see there's a more serious note deep in his eyes.

_Oh, I'm fine and dandy thank you. I'm about to murder a paedophile and I think I overdosed on my meds, if the swimming in my head is anything to go by. I've also just sneaked in your English/French teacher to help me. Other than that, I'm absolutely wonderful._

"I am well, thank you" I say, simply.

Suddenly Gregory, from the Violet Wolf dormitory, looks straight at me. I'm thrown by his eyes, which are a magnificent purple colour. They seem to look straight through me. Then, those eyes travel down my body and stop, looking at the top of my skirt. I feel immediately uncomfortable, as though he can see through my skirt and straight to my thighs.

My heart lurches: that's where the vial of poison is. The little glass flask is tucked into my garter...And I feel as though he can see it.

But as suddenly as he started, Gregory has stopped. He has gone back to hiding under his hood and blowing bubbles in his champagne. I frown a little. Does he know? Does he know about our plan? _No. That's impossible._

Lawrence draws me away from my thoughts: "Miss Durless?"

"Yes?"  
"It has come to my attention that you do not have an upperclassman at school to fag for?" he asks me, scrutinizing me with his blue eyes. I shrink back slightly.  
"That is true." I'd been hoping to get away with it. I've just been doing to odd bits and bobs instead.  
"Well then, starting from Monday you're my fag. Mine moved schools" he says, scowling at the thought.

I grit my teeth. Would it hurt to say please? My next words escape my mouth without my noticing: "and what if I don't want to?"

Each of the prefects – plus Sebastian – freeze and look at me in shock. After all: it's an honour to be the prefect's fag. Well, not to me it's not. I've got better things to do than iron their uniform and baby them all day.

"Oh, I don't think you will" Herman says, smiling. My eyes float over to the great cricket bat he's slung over his shoulder. I gulp. Nope, I don't think I will either.

"So, you'll do it" Lawrence says softly, placing a blue flower in my hair. Only fags of prefects and the prefects themselves can wear the dorm flower. _This is serious.  
_  
"Of course, I was just kidding" I say, throwing him a plastic smile. He isn't convinced, his cold gaze has made that clear. _Oh brilliant. The boy I'm going to be slaving over has a grudge against me now. Wonderful._

Edgar gives a breathy laugh and dismisses the cold atmosphere "well then, enjoy the party, Miss Durless. Mr Howard" he nods to Sebastian, then the four take their leave.

"See you Monday, Durless" Herman throws me a wink over his shoulder. I grin a little. Herman has always been like an older brother to me – particularly when the P4, Alois and I were all one big, (insanely popular, filthy rich, overrated) happy family. _  
_  
"See you" I murmur, and Sebastian and I watch as the P4 stroll over to various girls awaiting a dance. "Right," I try to recover, my voice a little too shaky for my liking. "Where were we?"

.

We make our way once more through the crowd, until we're almost directly in front of the man I've despised for the past month.

"Please wait here, Sebastian. But keep an eye on us. You promise you'll come?" I look at him meaningfully.

He smiles, "I will be by your side forever, my Lady. You have nothing to fear tonight." I smile back, take a deep breath, and walk over to the man of my nightmares.

"Why, hello Lord Trancy" I say, when I'm an arm's-length away from the man. The latter looks up, startled. His blue eyes settle on me, and realization floods into them. And along with realization is a shitload of something I've seen a lot in those eyes: lust.

I smile graciously, cringing at the fact that I'm actually flirting with the sick creature.

"Autumn...Durless..." he whispers, and he genuinely drools a little. With inhuman willpower, I do not vomit.  
"I came back" I breathe into his ear, and stroke his face ever so delicately. It's feels like old leather, and has been plagued with various spots and warts.  
"So you did..." his hand clutches at my skirt a little.  
"Lord Trancy," I give him my best innocent face, "I'm a little...bored...could we please go somewhere more...Entertaining?"

I didn't think it possible for his face to be filled with any more lust, but it is. It consumes his features, and he licks his lips subconsciously.

"Of course. I know a place" he smiles, revealing only a few rotten teeth. The rest have probably suffocated in his acid-breath.

Lord Trancy rises from his seat. Cageing my hand in his, he half walks - half drags - me to follow him. He stumbles a little on his own two feet, and breathes loudly as he struggles up the stairs. Then, we've made it.

My heart is pounding, my hands are sweating and my head is swimming. I like to pretend it's because I've doubled up my meds, but I can't deny it's because of the man beside me. Plus there's this door...It's so familiar. So reminiscent of all those nights...

"Shall we?" he says, his voice slurring from the wine. I can smell it on his breath; _disgusting._

I nod, and he opens the door.

.

The bed is in the same place it has always been. But he's changed the sheets – they're not blue anymore, they're red. The same colour as my dress. The same colour as his blood; the blood he'll be coughing up in a few minutes tops.

Why is my head spinning so much? I think I _have _overdone my meds. Or is it just this room?  
There's a funny smell...What does it smell of? Something strange...Definitely not quite right...

Firstly, everything is hazy.  
Then, I feel something silky underneath me.  
And for some reason, there's a ringing in my ears.  
Is Lord Trancy is saying something? I can't hear it.  
Plus something strange has flooded my mouth. Tastes kind-of...salty...  
And then everything has turned to nothing.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

...to be continued next chapter! Hope you enjoyed :)

_**Important:**_ I was wondering if it would be helpful to any of you if I did a **brief summary**of what's happened so far before each chapter? I realize when I'm on this site, all the stories kinda merge together and I forget what's happened...Just an idea. Tell me if you want me to. Obviously they'll contain spoilers of previous chapters so I'm really not sure...)

~Ched.~


	7. Unconscious

A/N: A review asked if this was set in the modern era. In my head, yes it's set in modern day. But I've thrown in so many traditional Victorian things (e.g. corset, invitation by notes etc) that you can easily read this as though it's the 19th century. Whichever you prefer :)  
Enjoy.

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

Everything is completely black. I'm not sure if the room is dark or if my eyes are shut. Or if I am dead.

At first, I worry. _Is that it? Is that all my life had to offer? _If I could cry, I would. I'd be drowning in my tears, if I had any. If I had any breath left, it would be shallow; the signs of a panic attack. If I could feel my body, it would be shaking. And it would be cold. Cold and stiff. Dead.

I'm not sure if I feel this way because of my meds or the stress or if I was drugged. Or if this is the side-effect of dying.

Then again - if this is my ending - at least it's not painful. I've always prayed that when my time comes, it will be easy. No agony, no nonsense; just a clean finish. So as I'm lying in this darkness, I feel an overwhelming sense of relief.

I start to relax. I decide it's actually kind of nice; this darkness. Sometimes, it feels good to lie in the dark, completely cut off from the world. You can close your eyes, pretend you're not on this godforsaken planet, and just be yourself.

But for some reason, I just can't quite feel completely content. It's like when you're just about to fall asleep, but there's an irritating noise keeping you awake. There's an irritating noise right now. It's a voice, and it's repeating four words in an endless cycle: _you can't die yet._

I strain to think. What is it? What is that nagging thing in the back of my mind, preventing me from ending? My head throbs, but I carry on trying anyway. Even if it kills me.

_Oh!_ A weak little memory has dribbled into my head: Lord Trancy. But that little drop of a memory is enough to flood my thoughts. Lord Trasncy is still alive. What about my revenge? I can't die! I have to rid the world of this sick old man.

_But how?_

Something inside me deflates a little. How am I going to get my revenge? It's too late now. I'm dead. Surely, I'm dead.

_Maybe you're not?_

It's a whisper of a thought, but it echoes against every wall of my skull. It gives me hope. If I'm still alive, I can still get my revenge. I can still banish Lord Trancy from this world.

Then again...Even if I am alive, I'm practically a vegetable. My body is useless, that much is clear. I've got to use something else. Or...Some_one_ else.

A light bulb seems to flicker in my head: _Sebastian._

That's right. Sebastian must be close if I'm dying, right? He'd want to take my soul. The contract said that - in return for my soul - he was to help me carry out my revenge on the people that ruined my life. Lord Trancy is one of those people. He'll kill him, right? Of course, I'd rather do it myself...But beggars really can't be choosers.

So I start to silently call him in my mind, because if I have a voice, I can't use it. I know it will be in vain, but it's the only shred of hope I have left.

_Sebastian. Sebastian. Sebastian..._

* * *

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**_

I stand in the corner of the ballroom, taking in every little detail of the scene before me.

It is a rather ordinary occasion. Most couples are dancing gracefully across the floor, whilst others are simply mingling in groups and sipping champagne. I sip my own drink too, just for aesthetics.

It has been twelve minutes since Autumn left with Lord Trancy. I can already hear a few ladies gossiping about their disappearance. I can't help my own mind from concocting its own ridiculous ideas either. Most of those ideas involve Autumn's death.

_Relax_, I try to tell myself. She will call you, like she said she would. All she has to do is remove her eye patch and order me there, and her situation is solved. She knows that.

But there's something nagging at me, right in the back of my mind. And there's a distinct tingle on the back of my hand. The hand with the Contract Seal. That can't possibly be a coincidence, can it?

I sigh in frustration. Something is telling me she needs help, but she told me to stay here. _Although..._ I think slyly,_ that wasn't an actual order. More of a request, really._ I smirk, place my champagne on the sideboard, and head up the grand staircase.

.

It doesn't take me long to reach the door to Lord Trancy's bedroom. Using my demon-sharp hearing, I stop and listen.

"Mine...All mine. That beauty...It is simply exquisite" I hear the old man say, as clearly as though I were next to him. For some reason his words make me angry. _She's not 'yours',_ I glare at the door. Perhaps such a look will penetrate it and reach him.

Apparently not, because I can hear the sick little creature mumbling even more disgusting comments. "Such a delicate physique...And the skin! It feels so good beneath my fingers..."

I grit my teeth and suppress the urge to vomit. Then I realise: I can't hear Autumn. She hasn't said a single word. Shouldn't she have slipped him the poison by now? What the...

_Sebastian._

Her voice edges into my mind, calling my name. It's not the usual summoning; that usually floods my brain and stops me from doing anything else until I am by her side. No. This is weaker...a whisper, begging me to come to her. I could easily ignore it, if I wanted to.

But I _don't_ want to.

I burst through the door, blowing the hinges in what I hope is a graceful manner. The room is filled with candles of different shapes and sizes. They cast an eerie glow over the bedroom, silhouetting the giant bed.

A low growl escapes my lips when my vision quickly adjusts to the scene in front of me. Autumn's unconscious body is entrapped beneath Lord Trancy's. Her hands are tied to the headboard and her eyes are shut. I can easily smell the drug soaked rag, lying beside the door._ Bastard._

Her body is covered only by her undergarments. The corset remains intact, but her breasts have overflowed it, being played with by the old man above her. He hasn't even the decency to stop upon my entrance.

I force an air of calmness. "Ah, good evening" I say nonchalantly, "hope I'm not interrupting anything" I throw him my brightest, fakest smile. His eyes are finally on me.

"What do you want?" he practically growls. My crimson eyes narrow slightly.

"That's not a particularly polite manner of speaking" I point out.

A low growl escapes his throat, "Just answer my question, I'm busy."

"I'm here," I motion to the lifeless body below him, "for her."

The old man snickers, stroking Autumn possessively. "Well, she's mine." he says darkly.

"That" I say, "is where you are wrong."

With inhuman speed, I am behind him on the bed, his neck in my arms. I could break it so easily: just a twitch of a muscle and he's dead.

"What? How...How..." the wart infested man mumbles incoherently, his pathetically human mind still trying to catch up with the situation. How weak.

Lord Trancy's hands claw at my own in a feeble attempt to escape. But there is no escape. This is an old, frail man up against a demon.

I continue talking as though we are discussing the weather and not his death. "I have heard about your sins, Lord Trancy. And I'm afraid that now, you are going to repent."

"Who in the devil's name are you?" he cries, one hand tearing at mine and the other clutching my Lady's dress. I smile at the irony of his question.

"Why," I smirk, "I am simply one hell of a butler"

And with one sharp flick, his neck is broken.

I sigh, "I'm ever so sorry my Lady, I understand you wished to do the honours yourself."

Autumn remains motionless, still out cold from the drug soaked rags. I sigh, _what an inconvenience_. With delicate hands, I work her clothes back onto her frame, reapplying a dose of modesty to her little situation.

I'm about to pick her up bridal style and make an exit through the window but...Something stops me.

Sinful thoughts creep into my mind, but I can't help it. I'm a demon and she is something of an exquisite meal. _'Meal'_? That sounds so cruel. I do not wish to be cruel. It is simply part of my nature. Much like you cannot help being human.

It sickens me that the last (and perhaps _only_ – aside Alois) person to touch her lips was a sick, twisted paedophile. Now, I simply can't leave it like that. It's like letting a swarm of flies sit on the biggest, juiciest peach.

So I lean down and place the lightest of kisses upon her lips. They're warm, but not moist. I don't think Lord Trancy had enough time to touch her there with his slug tongue. Well, I best make it a good kiss...just to make sure. Check properly, you know?

My tongue runs across her lips, tasting. I'm ashamed to say that my heart flutters._ Flutters?_ I'm a demon, for Christ's sake. But I like it. It feels good. She_ tastes_ good too. More than good, actually. She tastes of vanilla, and a hint of something floral. Delicious. I can't taste the saliva of another though – her lips were untainted._ Well_, I smirk,_ it was worth checking, no?_

And then I lean in and whisper into her ear. "Next time, my Lady, you shall be conscious." My smirk widens. _Yes_, I congratulate myself; _you are one hell of a butler. And one hell of a kisser, I bet._

* * *

Voilla :) I hope you enjoyed that - sorry if some of my writing is a bit dodgy, I'm in a rush because I'm about to go away for a few days and I still havn't updated D: But here it is! Thank you for your awesome reviews, they make me happy :3

~Ched.~


	8. Sapphire Rose

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

My eyes flutter open, and I'm blinded by daylight. I groan and sit up groggily, gulping down a glass of water. The little clock on my bedside cabinet reads 08:06. I groan again.

"Ah, I see you have awoken, my Lady" comes a pleasant voice. Far too pleasant, for my liking. Honestly, who can be so happy this early in the morning? I grumble in response. Not so lady-like, I'll admit.

"You're so cute in the morning" Sebastian murmurs, so quiet I can barely hear him. That wakes me up. Did he really just say that? No, I must have misheard him...Surely...

"Excuse me?" I try to hide my shock. He may be a demon, but he is still my butler. And butlers don't say things like that...do they?

"I said would you like some fruit this morning, my Lady?" he asks, throwing me a smile. I frown: I could have sworn he'd said...No...Never mind.

"Yes, please." I smile and take the reddest apple from the basket on his trolley. I take one bite and moan slightly. It tastes good; the sweet juices trickle down my fasted throat, awakening my senses. All of a sudden, I realise just how hungry I am. "Where are these from?" I ask, by means of conversation.

"Our gardens, my Lady. Finnian picked them himself"

"Finny picked them? Gosh, it's a miracle they survived" I joke. See, it may be eight in the morning but I've still got it. Sebastian smiles.

"My Lady, today is a Monday. You slept right through the weekend."

I stare at him. "Really?"

"Yes, my Lady. Do you wish for us to take a day off school today?"

I think about his offer for a moment. Lying in bed for another few hours does sound tempting..."No, we should go. I don't want to raise suspicion by not attending."

"Very well." Sebastian nods, and comes to kneel in front of me, beginning to unbutton my nightie.

"I can do that myself," I push his hand away.

"Forgive me, my Lady, but this will be far quicker. You are already rather behind, if you wish to arrive at school on time"

He's right. I shrug and allow him to dress me whilst I eat my apple and brush my hair. (You'd be surprised at how knotty your hair gets after two solid days of sleep.) I take my meds, and then carefully tease my hair into a side-braid.

But as my butler dresses me, I can't help noticing that his pale fingers linger a fraction of a second too long on my skin. I gaze down at him, but he doesn't seem to have noticed. _Paranoid._

As soon as I'm dressed, I throw a few books in my bag and begin to hurry out of the room. If I speed walk, I'll make it to school on time.

"My Lady," Sebastian calls for my attention, and I spin round to face him.

He's closer than I thought he would be. So close that I nearly bump into his chest. I blush ever so slightly at the thought. Wait, I blushed? What? "Aren't you forgetting something?" he smiles a little, and in his hands I see the little black eye patch. My heart drops slightly – I had so nearly forgotten about the pentagram burning in my left eye.

I grimace a little, but turn around and allow Sebastian to tie the strings at the back of my head with his nimble fingers. I have never told him how much I hate this mark. But I hate the eye patch more. It's sad that I have to hide so much of myself from the outside world.

My pulse increases significantly as I think of the outside world. It makes my mind cast back to Friday night. How has this only just come to my mind? _What happened?_

"Sebastian. Is he dead?" I ask, quietly. I don't even turn to face him, I just stay looking at my feet.

"Yes, my Lady" he says, understanding immediately who I am referring to.

"Okay." I say, equally quiet. I'm not sure how I feel about Lord Trancy finally being dead. How will Alois feel? My God, what have I done? I've killed someone's father.  
Well...Foster father...But still, he was as good as.

I open the door and rush down the stairs, straight out of the house in the matter of seconds. I take a deep breath of fresh air as soon as I'm out. My eyes are stinging with what could only be tears.

_Pull yourself together, _I command myself, and start speed walking to school. But I can't help a few tears escaping as I realise my actions. Out of pure vengeance and spite, I've killed someone very dear to Alois.

A grudge, that's all it was. A stupid grudge. He may have touched me, but he didn't _kill _me. But I killed him. Oh yes, I certainly killed him. It may not have been by my hand, but it was by my order. And admittedly I would have done it myself, was I given the chance.

I am an evil, corrupted little being. _What makes you think you're so high and mighty? _A voice sneers in the back of my mind. Even my own head has turned against me. _What makes you think you're allowed to run around, snatching lives? _I cringe. I hadn't noticed how spiteful my own thoughts can be.

I have to face Alois; have to comfort him as though his father's death is a complete surprise to me. I have to act as though I wished such a thing had never happened. I'll have to say just how tragic it was.

It will be unbearable because, no matter how much my actions displease me, I can't deny that I feel no remorse. What I did was right, because that man would have done much worse to others.

_You could have just reported him to the police. You didn't have to _kill _him. _A sensible voice in the back of my mind tells me. But not in a nice way. It only makes me feel even worse.

"Autumn!" I jump, awoken from my hideous reverie. Speak of the devil, there is Alois: right in front of me.

I'm not sure what I expected to see when I saw him. Perhaps I expected his eyes to be red from crying, or his usual feisty aura to be significantly diminished. But whatever I expected, it wasn't this.

It's not that Alois looks bad.

It's that Alois looks positively _thrilled_. There's a sparkle in his cerulean eyes and his mouth is wide with a grin. His cheeks are flushed and he looks positively delirious with happiness. I wonder if perhaps he doesn't know about his father at all, and he's won the lottery or something instead.

"My father's dead!" he tells me, as if it's the best thing that's ever happened to him.

"Um. Alois, are you okay?" I ask, concerned. I'm in half the right mind to give him some of my meds to get him down from this frankly scary high.  
"Okay? _Okay? _Autumn, I'm positively exploding with happiness" he screeches, jumping up and down, clapping his hands joyfully.  
"Alois, why? I hate to be the bearer of bad news but...Your father just died."

His smile falters, and he looks almost sad. "Yes, that's an awful shame...But," he grins again "I've inherited all of his money and the estate! I'm a Lord now, Autumn, a fucking _Lord_" he looks at me smugly. I feel sick.

"Oh..." I make a genuine effort not to vomit. Only an arrogant, materialistic fool like Alois would be happy about someone's death because of the _money.  
_Alois giggles, "plus, everyone's being _so _cute to me now that my relative is dead."

The urge to vomit is _really_kicking in now. So of course, Alois is revelling in the attention. He really is twisted. But I have to admit, I no longer feel guilty. It was only for Alois that I was worried, and he seems positively delighted with the situation.

"Well...Congratulations, Alois" I say, uncertain if a congratulations is really appropriate. "I've got to get to class" I murmur, and start heading back down the corridor. But of course, Alois won't let me go that easily.

"Alois? It's _Lord Trancy _now!" he giggles, then saunters over to me. He leans in, and whispers in my ear, his breath tickling my skin. "Don't you want me now? Now that I'm filthy rich?" he asks. I genuinely feel bile rise in my throat. He kisses my earlobe, and works his way down my neck.

"I wouldn't want you if you were the wealthiest man alive, Alois" I say, pulling away from him. I hurry down the corridor before he can catch me again, or before I apologise for my harsh words.

* * *

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**_

I cringe over my papers once more. "_You look so cute in the morning." _I groan a little. Did I really say that? It was so unlike me to slip up that way.

But I have to tell her. I have to tell her that I think I'm experiencing...Love. How strange. Not only am I Death, but I am also a demon. Is that even possible?

I did see that blush earlier though, when I tied her eye-patch. I can't help but feel hopeful at that. Perhaps the girl may just have feelings for me, too. I smile at the thought. How much easier this situation would be if that were the case.

It's not, though. I am nothing but a butler and a demon. My sole purpose is to get her revenge then devour her soul.  
_  
But... _A voice in the back of my mind reasons... _who says you can't have a little fun along the way?  
_  
I smirk. Yes...who indeed...

* * *

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

At midday every day, students are expected to join their upper-school peers as fags. I'm not a complete idiot, I know what the P4 will do to me if I skip fag time. The last kid that tried has never been the same since.

So it's with great regret that I find myself walking to the Swan Gazebo when the bell rings for lunch break.

"Ah, Miss Durless! We thought perhaps you had forgotten" Edgar calls from his seat on the plush sofa.

"How could I forget?" I mutter, eyeing Herman's cricket bat. Said boy winks at me jokily, but I know he's certainly not afraid to use that piece of wood.

Bluer looks up from his book to survey me coldly. "Durless, come here" he says, and I narrow my eyes as an answer. My feet stay exactly where they are, at the edge of the Swan Gazebo.

Lawrence Bluer was the one member of the P4 that I'd never grown close to, back when we were all friends. But it wasn't a friendship with Bluer, we were more like family – one that was simply forced together, that is. Just being civil so as to make life easier.

My musings are interrupted as a cold, sharp glare hits me with full force. I'm telling you, if looks could kill, everyone within a fifty mile radius of us would be dead. It's almost as bad as Sebastian's death-glare. Almost.

So I guess that's why my feet drag their way over to him. Before I know it, I'm stood in front of his place on the sofa. He's shut his book.

That's how I really know he's pissed. When Lawrence Bluer stops reading to tell you something, you will sure as hell listen. Because Lawrence Bluer would _never _close his book for no good reason.

My heart is beating fast when his hand shoots out to my plait and pulls on it sharply, tugging my head down level to his. "Durless." He says quietly. It's amazing how sinister he can be whilst practically whispering. "Where is your rose?"  
"Ah." My heart races, why am I so scared? I've killed two people, one of which was my mother. Surely I'm brave enough to talk to some nerd. "Well...You see...I may have misplaced it" I give a couple of fake laughs, trying to ease the tension. Like it's _funny_ and I'm_oh so forgetful._

His eyes narrow. Clearly, Bluer is not one for jokes.

"May I ask how?"

"Um." My heart hammers against my chest for a different reason. Images of that night burn in my eyes. The night he gave me that rose; that was the same night I was touched by a paedophile and the same night I killed a man.

And I suppose, within all of that, I lost the goddamn rose. "I...I must have left it at the party" I say. I hope my smugness doesn't show, because I sure as hell do _not _want to wear his rose. You know what it feels like? A collar. A collar for a dog. Like he _owns _me or something.

"Good thing we have spares" Edgar smiles and laughs airily from the other sofa. My heart sinks, and my back straightens to look at him. He takes a silver key out of his blazer pocket and unlocks a drawer I've never noticed before, just under the coffee table. It slides open to reveal a gorgeous square box, decorated with tiny jewels: sapphires, rubies, amethysts and emeralds. The four house colours.

I'm mesmerised when they glint in the sunlight as Edgar opens the lid. Usually I am not fazed by expansive showcases of wealth, but my eyes can't deny the box is beautiful.

By the time I get over the astonishing box, Edgar has already removed a navey blue rose from its depths. I don't even question how a rose becomes blue, and I accept the fact that it's real. Genetic engineering can do crazy things, especially if fed enough money.

Edgar hands the rose to Bluer, who pins it to the front of my blazer. And I don't think I imagined that smug smile as he did so.

So, I've been collared. Like a pet. I sigh: _brilliant_. My thoughts are simply dripping with sarcasm.

* * *

_**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**_

Autumn walks into my classroom for last period French. She's emitting a terrifying aura of complete and utter rage. I smirk, noticing the blue rose on her blazer. Of course, she is now one of the P4's pets. Every student's dream, but not Autumn's.

Once the class is settled and registered, I hand out their marked assignments. Everyone did well, of course. I _am _one hell of a teacher. Even Autumn managed to scrape a pass.

But as I hand back her paper, I bite my tongue when I'm about to say _well done. _I stop and smirk: a magnificent idea has sprung to mind. "See me after class, Miss Durless" she looks up at me and glares. She's usually not one for glaring, but clearly her mood says otherwise. Plus, she's so adorable when she's mad. I've never seen her like this before.

I smile brightly. _She has no idea, _my smile widens, _absolutely no idea what I plan to do._

* * *

_**AUTUMN P.O.V.**_

The bell rings for the end of the day, and I grudgingly drag my feet over to Sebastian's desk. Oh sorry, of course, I mean _"Mr Michaelis". _I snigger internally.

"Ah. Miss Durless" he's enjoying this, I can tell. My eyes narrow. This isn't going to be like a normal detention, I can tell. I won't be sitting in silence and marking books. Sebastian turns around and begins to rub the white board with a cloth as he talks.

"Your grades...They're improving. Well done."

"Thank...you...?" I say uncertainly. I thought this was a detention? Well, he can't have kept me behind just to tell me that. Couldn't he have told me back home? What's so urgent that it has to be done in school?

"You should be rewarded" it sounds like there's a second meaning to that statement. Like it's not the usual merit or a gold star.

"I should?" I say hesitantly.

"Yes." He puts the cloth down, the whiteboard now completely cleared of ink. When he turns to face me, I can see that smirk on his face and I know something's going to go down. He's looking into my eyes, so deeply that I feel uncomfortable and frown "what are you-"

His lips touch mine. I gasp, but it's muffled by his lips. His tongue caresses my mouth, and for some reason I enjoy it. He tastes of mint and dark chocolate. The kind which is too bitter and has a stupid percentage of cocoa. But it tastes good, somehow.

I feel his arms around my waist, and his touch is warm and inviting. I crave more of it, and without even noticing my fingers entwine with his hair. It's silky and feels so good against my skin that I moan quietly. I blush when I hear that, and suddenly thrown back into reality.

I'm kissing Sebastian Michaelis. I'm kissing my demon. I'm kissing my butler. I'm kissing my teacher. _Fuck._

I pull away instantly and stare in shock. But I'm not staring at Sebastian_. _No, I'm staring at the door. Because through the window in it, I can see a face. A face marked with the same shock as my own.

Alois Trancy.

* * *

Yatta! Ahhh, finally, a proper kiss ;) I hope you liked this, and thank you for your reviews last chapter :3  
~Ched890


	9. Anger

**A/N: **Ahhh sorry. I've been so busy. A-levels are hard work :'( Forgive me. Here it is (finally)  
There's a summary of what's happened so far below, it's not well written but you get the gist!  
Enjoy.

**Previously:**

Autumn Durless is not your average high school girl. Last summer she killed her mother to protect the secrets of the Queen. Now with no financial income and no guardian to protect her, Alois Trancy offered Autumn a job as a maid at the Trancy manor. Little did he know, the servants of the manor were sent each night to entertain Lord Trancy. Realising this, Autumn fled - but not without a fight. Wounded, broken and barely alive, Death pays her a visit, waiting to recycle her soul. But instead, Death takes the form of a demon so that Autumn have one more chance at life in return for her soul to be devoured.

Now Sebastian is Autumn's demon butler and teacher at Weston College. He has helped her to eliminate Lord Trancy and - much to his amusement and Autumn's distaste- she has become Bluer's fag. However over the course of their time together, a forbidden love has brewed, witnessed by none other than Alois Trancy.

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

**AUTUMN P.O.V.**

We both stare in horror at the little blonde face peeping through the window; a mask of pure shock. Then, it slowly morphs into something else: his lips twist into a smirk, his eyes glint and he dashes off down the corridor. My own lips are drawn into a thin (if slightly swollen and tingling) line.

I make eye contact with Sebastian for the first time since the kiss. It all feels surreal, and I begin to think I'd imagined the whole scene - although my numb lips seem to suggest otherwise. I'm not sure if I feel angry that he kissed me in public, or flattered that he kissed me at all. _Things just got a hell of a lot more complicated, thats for sure.  
_  
I stare at my feet, cheeks burning. "I should go" I murmur a half-hearted excuse and stumble out of the room. I speed down the corridors and straight out the door. The fresh air hits me, mixed with a hazy fog of drizzle. My lungs drink it in greedily after previously being starved of oxygen (I blush again at that particular thought).

Grateful not to have run into Alois, I keep my head down and half walk, half jog, down the road home. The cold air freshens my mind, clearing my thoughts so each one is sharp and clear rather than a muddy mess in my head.

_**TWO THINGS OF WHICH AUTUMN DURLESS IS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN:  
1) Sebastian Michaelis has feelings for her  
2) By tomorrow, the whole school will know.**_

Well, fuck.

* * *

**SEBASTIAN P.O.V.**

As soon as Autumn's gone, I swing into action. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't silence a bratty little boy?

I chase down the corridors stealthily, following the sound of Alois' footsteps clapping along the corridor. Within seconds, I'm right behind him and before he can let out a startled gasp, I've got him pinned against the wall.

"Well, well, well. Alois Trancy" I greet him calmly, as though this were a completely ordinary situation.

"M-m-mister...M...Michaelis" the boy stutters pathetically, his eyes wide and trying to catch up with my actions. I smirk at his failure to formulate a coherent sentence.

"Now, tell me Alois...what exactly are you going to do about the – shall we say – "_event" _you just so rudely witnessed?" I ask him smoothly, my face just inches from his. I can feel his breath in shallow pants across my skin.

"I... I wasn't g-going to t-tell anyone, sir, I...I promise," My eyes widen slightly with surprise. Is the boy really so scared by my presence that he will silence this easily?

"Good. I should hope not" then, I lean in and whisper softly into his ear, "Who knows what I'd do if your mouth was to..._slip?_" I feel him genuinely shiver beneath me, earning him another smirk.

I pull back and survey him, sniggering at his weakness. "I'll see you in class tomorrow then, Alois" I say pleasantly, as though nothing had happened.

The boy looks at me with shock and fear still mixed in his cerulean eyes. Clearly, without a posy to protect him the little brat is completely powerless.

I smirk yet again and walk away, leaving him standing there. No doubt I shall have to reinforce the message some time in the near future, but for now at least, our secret is safe.

As I walk home I can't help but grin; despite the complications of Alois, that kiss was exquisite. She tasted just as good as before, but this time her lips worked with mine, making it twenty times better than the last.

Eventually I reach the manor, and I'm delightfully greeted with a stern face belonging to a rather angry teenager.

"My Lady" I greet her pleasantly, as though nothing has happened.

"Don't you dare come any closer" she says through gritted teeth. I hide my shock well, giving her a questioning gaze instead. "What were you _thinking?"_ she continues_ "_Not only are you a butler, but you're my _teacher _too. That's _illegal, _Sebastian! And not only that, but in plain sight of Alois..."

She bursts into a long, long speech which I stop listening to after a while. Instead, I slowly walk closer and closer towards her. I stalk her lips like a predator stalks his unsuspecting prey.

"...I don't know how we can possibly stay here, Alois will surely tell everyone and by tomorrow the police will probably arrest you for paedophilia or something outrageous..." I'm just a step away from her, and she's backing up against the wall without even realising. "...And I haven't the foggiest how you're going to escape, but you'll have to. We'll have to run away or something –"

I cut her off, my lips pressing against hers forcefully, silencing her speech. At first she struggles, trying to bite my tongue and pushing me back. I snigger against her lips at her own failure, pinning her wrists to the wall and making her biting attempts into one very passionate game of tongue hockey instead. She moans angrily, but soon gives in. I am one hell of a kisser, after all.

"Alois will remain silent for now" I say, allowing her to breathe by focusing on her neck instead. "So you can stop that ridiculous speech" she truly was a drama queen when she panicked. I sucked and nibbled at her neck gently, earning a very small sound of pleasure from her lips. I grin wickedly.

"Does that solve your problem?" I ask her softly.

"Y-yes" she swallows hard, her eyes glittering with shock.

"Good" I smile, releasing her, "then I'll go and sort dinner"

"Mm-hmm" she murmurs, and I catch a glimpse of her touching her lips in awe behind my back. _Yes, _I think smugly, _I am one hell of a kisser._

* * *

**AUTUMN P.O.V.**

The next day passes in a hormonal blur, as my teenage mind thinks of nothing but Sebastian and his lips. I cringe at my own pathetic ways, hoping they will pass by soon.

I sit in period three French, my worst subject. It also doesn't help that Sebastian is my teacher for languages. I sit numbly, even more incompetent at French than usual. Everything floats past me, and my mind is just a huge fog of foreign words and things I don't understand.

"Autumn? C'est ce que en anglais, s'il vous plaît?" I snap out of my daze in shock.

"Uh...Pardon?" I blush a little as everyone turns to stare at me.

Sebastian smiles, "Dans votre livre. Répéter en anglais?" I can see he's enjoying my humiliation, because I clearly have no idea what he's even asking me to do.

"A little distracted are we today, Miss Durless?" he muses, watching me as my face burns. _I hate you, you stupid demon bastard. _I try to glare at him, despite my pure embarrassment. I don't think it works; it only seems to have made him enjoy this situation more.

The bell rings for noon, and for once I'm dying to leave the room and go to fag time. I rush out, hiding my burning face and ignoring Sebastian's chuckles with all my might. It's foggy outside, which just seems to worsen my mood. "Can't see anything I'm bloody doing" I mumble and mutter, trudging across the grounds in search for the Swan Gazebo.

By the time I've found the P4 amongst the dense fog, I'm at least 10 minutes late.  
_  
_"Welcome, Miss Durless" Edgar greets me, lounging gracefully across one of the sofas. "I hope you are well today?"

"Very well, thank you" I reply automatically, opting not to confess to my earlier predicament with a certain demon butler and some irritating weather.

"I'm glad to hear that" Edgar says smoothly, smiling that smile which makes most women swoon. Perhaps I am blind or maybe he's just not my type, because I don't even bat an eyelid. _You're preoccupied with another man, that's why _an evil little voice in the back of my mind snickers, and I can't help noticing the voice is remarkably like Sebastian's. Oh great, so now he's infecting my thoughts even without being physically present.

"You're late, Durless. Fetch me some tea" the cold voice of Lawrence Bluer jolts me out of my musings.

I'm in half the right mind to retort with a "what's the magic word?" but I bite my tongue and, with inhuman strength, stay silent as I turn to the food trolley. There are at least twenty different types of tea in different china pots - fruit tea, green tea, strained tea, loose tea, herbal tea... _Which one does he want?_

I turn back to where Bluer sits, intending to ask him which sort he'd prefer. But he has already engrossed himself in a book, and everyone knows you shouldn't interrupt a Sapphire Owl student when they're hooked on a book. The other prefects all look involved in their own activities too, plus I don't see the other fags talking to them.

So I face the cart once more and settle for an Earl Grey teabag, plopping it inside a cup with navy blue markings. Praying he won't complain, I pour some hot water into the cup and leave it to brew. I consider adding sugar but Bluer doesn't seem like the sort to like such a thing, so I leave it and place the teacup on a tray with a small jug of milk beside it.

As gracefully as possible, I place the tray on the coffee table beside him. He spares it a glance before training his gaze back on his book, saying "Well? Do you expect me to pour my own milk?"

I grit my teeth, _yes I do. _Taking a deep breath, I smile and reply "of course not", pouring the milk into the cup and stirring it. _Could be worse _my thoughts reassure me, _he could have complained about the flavour of tea. _I congratulate myself internally.

"And for the record, I prefer my tea loose" he sniffs.  
"I'll remember next time, Sir" I reply, plastering a smile on my face.  
"Good," he takes a sip of the tea without any more complaints and I sigh quietly with relief.

I stand beside Bluer on the edge of the Gazebo, watching and waiting for my next command. My hands - clasped behind my back - can't help but fidget irritably at being treated like some sort of dog. My hormones going mental over Sebastian is not helping in the slightest.

After a long silence watching the prefects, Edgar calls for my attention.

"Yes?" I answer, somewhat irritably due to my thoughts (which are now a heavy stream of cuss words aimed at Bluer as well as Sebastian). I cover it up with a warm smile.

"You know the P4 card we gave you a while back?"

"Yes?" my thoughts are no longer swearing but have stopped to survey Edgar suspiciously.

"It's been revoked. It's troublesome to have an outcast serving us" he smiles like he's done me a huge favour, but to be honest I've barely noticed my peers lately. _T_oo_ busy swooning over Sebastian _my mind comments slyly.

"Thank you" I reply, pretending to be grateful whilst wondering why they made me - an outcast - their fag in the first place. I originally thought it was to make my life a further living hell, but now that they've taken back the red card (which is practically unheard of), I'm questioning their reasons.

The bell rings and I rinse Bluer's teacup before drying it and stacking it in the food cart. I'm about to leave when Bluer calls my name.

"Autumn?"

I turn around to face him, immediately noticing that the gazebo is empty. _How did everyone leave so quickly? _He looks at me for a long moment through his silver rimmed glasses and grey-blue hair, his navy eyes looking right through me. I'm trapped, paralysed, like a fox stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car.

"Be careful" he says, slicing long, ominous silence. I'm about to question his cryptic message but he's already walking away, into the mist. "W-Wait-" I stutter, but he's already disappeared beind the wall of fog.

"Weirdo" I mutter.

But, sitting in my final lesson of the day, I can't help but wonder: why would Bluer - of all people - warn _me_ to be careful?

* * *

A/N: oooh, mysterious! Again, sorry for the delay. I got addicted to Mei-chan no Shitsuji (check it out, if you're reading this you'd probably love it. It's also about butlers, romance, school girls and the like. It's a very good manga, I'm in love with Rihito) and I repeat, BLOODY A-LEVELS -_- I'll see you soon with the next chapter, thanks for the reviews from last time :)

* * *

_UPDATE: I'm so so so sorry I'm super late with updating. I plan to do so in the summer when I finally get a break. Exams are getting crazy!_


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